I bought an audible yesterday, and i haven't relied on it for a jump yet except to break off from a tracking formation. However i think its a GREAT tool for newbies. Everytime my pre-pull alarm goes off i am already looking at my wrist mount, but its nice having the peace of mind. I understand the reasoning against new people using them but this is just my thought on it. An extra reminder of alititude can never be a bad thing!

They're nice when they work right. I've had mine go off from exit till landing before. Other times it never went off. Start counting on it to work perfect and it will bite you in the ass one day. Look at the ground and look at your wrist alti.

I'm with Mr. Polite on this. Altimeters of any sort are useful tools...until they fail.

You can plan for that eventuality by starting NOW to train your best altimeters...your eyeballs.

How do you do that? Look at your alti and then look at the ground. "I'm at 5000 feet and this is what the ground looks like. I am at 4000 feet and this is what the ground looks like"....and so on.

You will eventually get to the point where you can get it right when you look at the ground first to get your altitude and then compare it with what the alti says.

Pay attention to your peripheral vision for the horizon too.

If you look at your alti and it says the same thing twice in a row, automatically assume that it has stuck/failed. There's a video that shows a TI checking his several times wondering "WTF"...all the way to AAD fire IIRC.

The Mk1 eyeball doesn't come calibrated, it deteriorates with age, it's myopic, hyperopic, it has zero depth perception beyond about 50ft, it goes blurry if it gets dirt or wind in it or the thing covering it mists up, it gets tired, it is easily confused if it's looks down at a DZ or an altitude it's never seen before and it gets steadily more inaccurate the higher it gets. I know of one dz where the surrounding fields are much smaller than normal and they have had so many low pull incidents from visitors who rely on the Mk1 eyeball that they now include the advice NOT to eyeball the altitude in their standard safety brief.

Don't get me wrong, the eyeball is an essential bit of kit that should be trained and developed, but it is not fool proof.

Every so often I will remove mine for a few dozen jumps and then replace it. This gets me over the im used to the sound and didnt even remember hearing it syndrome. When I put it back in, it startles me all over again. This also enforces serious concentration on Visual and Altimeter backup.

Yep, anything can be fooled if you set yourself up for it. Your scenario assumes that nobody does anything to help/protect them altimeters.

I didn't post any scenario or assume anything, I just listed the failings of the human eye applicable to its use as an altimeter. Under most circumstances for most people the eye is less accurate and less reliable than an actual instrument, which is exactly why such instruments were invented in the first place.

I can tell a big difference between10k, 6k, 4 k and 2 k . If you can't then maybe you don't pay attention when you're jumping. Sure your eye isn't going to give you an exact altitude down to the foot but when your altimeter gets stuck I hope you don't just stare it or wonder what to do. Audibles are a backup. That's it. If you use one to tell you when to pull and break it's going to fail one day. Use your wrist alti and look at the ground

I can tell a big difference between10k, 6k, 4 k and 2 k . If you can't then maybe you don't pay attention when you're jumping. Sure your eye isn't going to give you an exact altitude down to the foot but when your altimeter gets stuck I hope you don't just stare it or wonder what to do. Audibles are a backup. That's it. If you use one to tell you when to pull and break it's going to fail one day. Use your wrist alti and look at the ground

im rather new but from what ive seen so far its a combination. check your alti and listen for ur audible and there is always that little voice in ur head that says pull. I figure if you pull around the same as the others around you, you dont see the ants as people, and you land ok it was a good skydive. as for being on the mark every time.. i think tis not possible as the more you jump the possibility that all work closes to zero..

AGAIN. just my noob opinion....

EDIT... as for really new people i think its better to get used to checking your alt rather then relying on a beep to tell you its time to pull..

I do nothing but tracking jumps and it gets really annoying having to stop my track to check my altitude. Audible's are heaven to me! trick is to never use just one. I see people using 3 Audibles at once each jump.

It screws up my track no matter how I check it. Getting a chest mount soon enough, though. BUT Audibles ARE an option! And it makes full on tracking jumps that much easier. That's all I'm saying. There are many good uses for the Audible. But never only jump with an audible...always have the ol' trusty wrist watch.

It screws up my track no matter how I check it. Getting a chest mount soon enough, though. BUT Audibles ARE an option! And it makes full on tracking jumps that much easier. That's all I'm saying. There are many good uses for the Audible. But never only jump with an audible...always have the ol' trusty wrist watch.

I gave up the audible on trackng jumps so I could listen to my Flysight. The suggestion to practice judging alt by eyeball is something that is pretty easy and a good thing to practice on a tracking jump. It is a good challange as well.

I did get a chest mount recently. It is one of those 45 deg jobs that hangs on the mudflap.

I gave up the audible on trackng jumps so I could listen to my Flysight. The suggestion to practice judging alt by eyeball is something that is pretty easy and a good thing to practice on a tracking jump. It is a good challange as well.

I did get a chest mount recently. It is one of those 45 deg jobs that hangs on the mudflap.

I actually haven't purchased an audible yet but was looking into it. Been working on the eyeball shindig, though. Clouds help a LOT with judging. I'll spot where the clouds are altitude-wise on the way up, then I have a nice gauge. They usually start around 5K here.

I do nothing but tracking jumps and it gets really annoying having to stop my track to check my altitude. Audible's are heaven to me! trick is to never use just one. I see people using 3 Audibles at once each jump.

Didn't hear around the DeeZee that you'd picked up your A card. Maybe I missed it...